GM CEO to be deposed in suit over ignition switches

General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra will be deposed this fall by lawyers suing GM over its defective ignition switches.

Barra is one of 35 current and former GM employees who will be deposed, attorney Bob Hilliard said Thursday. The depositions begin May 6 with the questioning of GM customer experience chief Alicia Boler-Davis.

Hilliard sued GM last July on behalf of people who were injured or killed in crashes allegedly caused by faulty ignition switches.

The switches could slip into the "off" position, disabling power steering and air bags. The lawsuit alleges GM knew about the defective switches as early as 2001 but didn't recall any cars until last year.

Barra told Congress she learned about the defective switches in December 2013, just before GM began recalling affected vehicles.